Latitudes: 10 Musical Discoveries From Around The World

By Anastasia Tsioulcas

Published October 29, 2014 at 7:03 AM CDT

1 of 12 — The endlessly innovative Sardinian guitarist and singer Paolo Angeli created carefully constructed yet dreamy music with his souped-up guitar at an Oct. 23 daytime showcase. One of the first sets during this year's event, Angeli set the pace for musicianship and excitement.

The endlessly innovative Sardinian guitarist and singer Paolo Angeli created carefully constructed yet dreamy music with his souped-up guitar at an Oct. 23 daytime showcase. One of the first sets during this year's event, Angeli set the pace for musicianship and excitement.

Anastasia Tsioulcas / NPR

2 of 12 — Hats, undershirts, folk, punk: Russia's Otava Yo brought huge energy and good humor to their Oct. 23 performance.

Hats, undershirts, folk, punk: Russia's Otava Yo brought huge energy and good humor to their Oct. 23 performance.

Anastasia Tsioulcas / NPR

3 of 12 — Long a sideman, Honduran guitarist Guayo Cedeño stepped into the limelight with a fantastic set that combined cumbia and surf guitar on the first night of WOMEX showcases, Oct. 23.

Long a sideman, Honduran guitarist Guayo Cedeño stepped into the limelight with a fantastic set that combined cumbia and surf guitar on the first night of WOMEX showcases, Oct. 23.

Anastasia Tsioulcas / NPR

4 of 12 — South Korean group Noreum Machi brought a wild, shamanistic energy to their Oct. 24th WOMEX showcase.

South Korean group Noreum Machi brought a wild, shamanistic energy to their Oct. 24th WOMEX showcase.

Anastasia Tsioulcas / NPR

5 of 12 — Congolese-Belgian singer Baloji — already a veteran of New York's globalFEST — turned in one of the most talked-about and self-assured sets at WOMEX Oct. 24.

Congolese-Belgian singer Baloji — already a veteran of New York's globalFEST — turned in one of the most talked-about and self-assured sets at WOMEX Oct. 24.

Anastasia Tsioulcas / NPR

6 of 12 — One of the biggest surprises of this year's edition of WOMEX was Maru Tarang, a group that blends Rajasthani folk music with Western slide guitar.

One of the biggest surprises of this year's edition of WOMEX was Maru Tarang, a group that blends Rajasthani folk music with Western slide guitar.

Anastasia Tsioulcas / NPR

7 of 12 — In their late-night Oct. 24 set, Angolan-Portuguese band Batida blended a vintage 1970s Angolan sound with modern electronic dance music and a socially conscious perspective.

In their late-night Oct. 24 set, Angolan-Portuguese band Batida blended a vintage 1970s Angolan sound with modern electronic dance music and a socially conscious perspective.

Anastasia Tsioulcas / NPR

Smoky-voiced Portuguese singer and guitarist Lula Pena mixed her native land's <em>fado</em> style with an international blend of Cape Verdean, Brazilian and French sounds in her eclectic Oct. 25 performance.

8 of 12 — Smoky-voiced Portuguese singer and guitarist Lula Pena mixed her native land's fado style with an international blend of Cape Verdean, Brazilian and French sounds in her eclectic Oct. 25 performance.

Smoky-voiced Portuguese singer and guitarist Lula Pena mixed her native land's fado style with an international blend of Cape Verdean, Brazilian and French sounds in her eclectic Oct. 25 performance.

Anastasia Tsioulcas / NPR

9 of 12 — Arizona's Orkesta Mendoza — the only U.S.-based group to perform at WOMEX 2014 — turned in a blistering set Oct. 25.

Arizona's Orkesta Mendoza — the only U.S.-based group to perform at WOMEX 2014 — turned in a blistering set Oct. 25.

Anastasia Tsioulcas / NPR

10 of 12 — Galicia's own sweet-voiced Davide Salvado mixed ancient traditional songs with a modern attitude in his Oct. 25 performance.

Galicia's own sweet-voiced Davide Salvado mixed ancient traditional songs with a modern attitude in his Oct. 25 performance.

Anastasia Tsioulcas / NPR

11 of 12 — Mexican horns most certainly don't automatically mean mariachi. Heavy jazz, driven hard by brass and drums, was what the Mexican band Troker offered at their Oct. 25 showcase.

Mexican horns most certainly don't automatically mean mariachi. Heavy jazz, driven hard by brass and drums, was what the Mexican band Troker offered at their Oct. 25 showcase.

Anastasia Tsioulcas / NPR

Colombia's Tribu Baharú transformed the WOMEX tent into a sweaty dance party with their high-energy, very entertaining take on Afro-Colombian <em>champeta</em> music.

12 of 12 — Colombia's Tribu Baharú transformed the WOMEX tent into a sweaty dance party with their high-energy, very entertaining take on Afro-Colombian champeta music.

Colombia's Tribu Baharú transformed the WOMEX tent into a sweaty dance party with their high-energy, very entertaining take on Afro-Colombian champeta music.

Anastasia Tsioulcas / NPR

WOMEX – The World Music Expo – is kind of like a traveling SXSW for global music. Mostly an industry affair, with about 2,000 attendees from 100 countries, the five days of nonstop showcases, panel discussion, meetings, film screenings and schmoozing (did I mention the concerts? Concerts too) end up setting the the pace for the year that follows. I came home from this year's festival – held this year in the city of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain – totally revved up and inspired by what I saw and heard.

This year's WOMEX proved to be an incredibly strong one for Latin and Caribbean music, thanks to acts like Honduras' Guayo Cedeño, Colombia's Tribu Baharú and Mexico's Troker. And a few artists and groups I already knew and loved were out in full force: the Congolese-Belgian singer Baloji's show was relentlessly tight; I couldn't tear myself away from the utterly charming El Gusto Orchestra, from Algeria, or the recently renamed Orkesta Mendoza, the only U.S. group to showcase at WOMEX 2014.

The most exciting artists I heard this year were new to me, and they tended to be either hard-driving modernists or performers who presented roots music in innovative ways. I know I missed plenty of wonderful stuff, trying to navigate overlapping showcases throughout Santiago's old quarter. Maybe by the time next year's event lands in Budapest I'll finally have figured out how to clone myself.